More Coverage

Related Stories

A six-year-old boy is in critical condition in a London hospital with Ontario’s first recorded case of tetanus this year after a nail wound to his foot.

The child, from Grey-Bruce, wasn’t immunized against tetanus and began to show symptoms of the disease about 10 days after the injury. Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, can be fatal.

Authorities couldn’t recall another case of tetanus in Grey-Bruce.

“1965 is the farthest back we went and we couldn’t find one in Grey and Bruce,” said Hazel Lynn, the area’s medical officer of health. “This is certainly the first one I remember here.”

Public health officials would say only that the boy — now in intensive care — had a puncture wound to his foot from a nail, not how he got it.

Ontario averages about one case a year of tetanus, which occurs when spores in the environment get into wounds. It causes muscle cramps in the neck, arms, legs and stomach, and can result in painful convulsions.

The spasms can be so strong people can break bones and even stop breathing, Lynn said.

Even with early treatment, tetanus is fatal in about 20% of cases, with the higher fatality rates among infants and the elderly. It becomes fatal when a person can no longer eat or drink because their jaw is locked in spasm, Lynn said.

The boy’s family didn’t seek medical attention as quickly as they could have, and it’s believed the toxin has spread through the child’s body, Lynn said.

“It takes weeks and sometimes months for the body to clear that toxin,” said Lynn.

Deep puncture wounds, such as from stepping on a nail or a dog bite, require immediate attention, she said.

“We can prevent it (tetanus) if we get the wound at the right time.”

The tetanus vaccine, which provides protection against the disease, is routinely administered to infants in combination with vaccines against other diseases. Booster doses are given at ages four to six and 14 to 16.

A booster is recommended for adults every 10 years.

Lynn said the health unit is monitoring the boy.

“We certainly hope for and wish the best for the child and his family,” she said.